Monday, August 16, 2010

A Change of Location

Great run today! I changed my location to a more challenging and interesting location. I decided to run on the paved trails behind the baseball fields today. Even though they are paved, there are still a large amount of obstacles to avoid!

As you can see, I only did one pass on the higher sections. This is due to the sticky substance on the ground + broken nutshells on the trail. Boy they didn't hurt the first time I stepped on them, but the second time forced me to stop and knock them off my feet. Anyone have any tips for keeping the crap from sticking on your feet? I tried getting them dirty so the dirt would stick first, but it didn't help.

After that predicament I decided to run back and forth on the one less hilly, but longer section of the trail. Then, I noticed another sidewalk that connected to the below parking lot. YEAH! A LOOP!

So, I ran the loop a few times and called it quits. I was sure I had hit around 4 miles. I was close, but RunKeeper said 3.35. I guess I need to get used to the steep hills and sticky rocks.

Now RunKeeper... I ran at the same location previously and RunKeeper failed me. I had 2 GPS devices in my bag. Both were iPhones. I think that caused the error. Anyway, this time it did great. I was really surprised how well it worked in the tree covered areas. With such accurate data, why bother buying a Garmin?

For breakfast this morning I drank a chocolate protein shake. My favorite recipe is as follows:

1/2 serving of chocolate protein drink mix

1 big spoonful of peanut butter

1/2 a banana

A small handful of coffee beans(gotta wake up somehow!)

Now, I don't really like the banana flavor, but I think the nutrients helped me run better. I will try to run without the banana next time and see if I know the difference.